Hello everyone! Wow, how is it September already? Where did all the time go? Anyway, I apologize for the delay. I've been coming up with new ideas and have been tweaking as I go along. Also, I admit, I had a terrible bout of writer's block, that most cruel and relentless of ailments that all writers experience sometimes. At any rate, I can't thank you enough for bearing with me. These next few chapters will be very interesting. Please enjoy and don't forget to leave your feedback and commentary!

It was an unseasonably warm evening in late March, yet Blaine opted for the black leather jacket, white t-shirt, and form-fitting blue jeans complete with black riding boots. He had never ventured to Westerville's famed Historic District and yet his good looks and outfit were parting crowds and catching glances from both the male and female pedestrians.

The Historic District was a neighborhood filled with arts and crafts stores, antique shops, independent booksellers, old taverns and restaurants, and even a few converted speakeasies left over from Westerville's wild and unruly days of Prohibition. It was actually a very quaint part of town and Blaine blended in perfectly with the crowds that filled the sidewalks. Both sides of the cobblestone streets had architecture representing every decade from the 1890s to the 1960s. The Historic District had something for everyone.

When Blaine reached an intersection, he stopped and leaned against an old lamppost. He withdrew his hand from his jean pocket and read the scribbled address on his palm. When he raised his head to look around, he saw that the building he was looking for stood directly in front of him across the street. It was a classic diner with a red neon sign on the roof that read "Rocket Café" in swirly, cursive 50s script.

Blaine had called Ivy Caplesmith, the expatriate Dalton Academy secretary, earlier that day and told her everything that had transpired with the Warblers. The older woman listened attentively on the other line, appalled and disgusted at the headmaster's cruel line of behavior. He also informed her of Kurt's idea to sue the headmaster for tampering with the grade book. The older woman had then requested that Blaine meet her at the Rocket Café that night, saying that she wanted to help in any way she could.

The glass front door opened to the clink of a tiny bell. The diner was jammed. A beautiful old jukebox sat directly to his right and was playing a Buddy Holly song. The white tile walls were adorned with all sorts of movie posters, signed record albums, and photos of famous icons from mid-century America. Before him was a stark white counter with red trim that matched the swivel seats. He found the one unoccupied chair and took his seat at the counter.

No sooner had he sat down that Blaine heard a voice from somewhere over his shoulder.

"Well, James Dean's got nothing on you!"

The handsome boy turned and was greeted by the warm smile of Ivy Caplesmith. She was wearing a white uniform and a hairnet which told him that she now worked at the diner.

The two laughed as they embraced. "How are you doing, Ms. Caplesmith?" Blaine was refreshed to see her. "It's so good to see you!"

"Oh, I'm doing just swimmingly, thank you!" The older woman gestured grandly, indicating the diner.

Blaine understood and his eyes widened at the realization. "Do you own this place?"

"I certainly do! And you know what? It couldn't have come at a better time," the former secretary said with a grin. She leaned in closer as if to divulge a deadly secret. "No sooner had that rat, Kane, fired me that I came across this place. It was abandoned. From the looks of it, it must have been closed for twenty years. The local legislation was planning on demolishing it. I stepped in and told them that I'd like to buy the place. It was lucky too because a local historical society wanted to save the diner as well. So, I teamed up with the historical society and we promised that we'd have the place up and running again in a month and a half and they sold it to us for a reasonable price! We bought it, fixed it up, and here it stands before you!"

Blaine was genuinely impressed. He was so happy that the woman was doing so well for herself. She definitely deserved it.

Ms. Caplesmith waved her arms as she took her place behind the counter. "That's enough about me!" She leaned forwardly and softly placed her hand over Blaine's. He noticed that she wore a wedding ring, but to his knowledge, she was no longer married. "I'm terribly sorry about your expulsion. I wish there was something we could do to get you back at Dalton Academy."

Blaine held his head low. "I miss seeing my friends every day. And Kurt…"

He realized that he was getting too personal, but the older woman was gave him a look of complete understanding. "I know how difficult it must be for you, but sadly you're going to have to stay put for a little while." She suddenly smiled. "However, I am glad to say that I can help you with your case against Allan Kane."

Blaine looked up and saw the snicker on Ms. Caplesmith's face. "It just so happens that I started out my years in education as an education lawyer and student advocate…"

He caught on and the two chuckled wickedly in their own corner of the diner. The plan was finally going to be set in motion.

"Now," she began. "We're going to need someone who has easy access to those files."

It only took a second for Blaine to think of the perfect person. "Jeremiah Evans. He's the new secretary. If anybody other than the headmaster can get into the grade books online, it's him."

Ms. Caplesmith grinned and gave a sinister little laugh. "Alright then. Let's get our hands on this Jeremiah kid..."

Please translate the following phrase: Amor vincit omnia.

Kurt lingered over the final extra credit question on his Latin quiz. Of course, he knew by heart that the ancient phrase meant "Love conquers all" and it greatly depressed him.

Ever since Blaine had been expelled, daily life at Dalton Academy had not been the same. The Warblers were greatly affected by this sudden change in their routine. The National Show Choir Competition, which was something that the boys had been looking forward to ever since their Regionals victory, was now an impossible dream. Their morale had hit an all-time low, especially after Wes had to make the drastic decision to officially disband the Sons of Ignatius Dalton.

Perhaps the only good news of the week was that Jeff Honeycutt had returned in good health from the hospital. The only way one would be able to tell that something had happened to him was if they looked at his wrists, which were still bound in brownish gauze. The boys had been so relieved and overjoyed to see him for they had not been allowed to visit him due to their suspension.

Kurt rose tiredly from his desk and presented the complete exam to his professor. Without any sign of emotion, he trudged out the door and into the silent, empty hall. He was simply going to return to his dormitory and collapse. He was thinking of calling or texting Blaine, but thought better of it.

Truth be told, Kurt had hardly seen or heard anything from his boyfriend since the two had devised their plan of suing Headmaster Kane. Kurt merely chocked it up to the fact that preparing for such a task took a lot of hard work and effort. All he knew was that Ms. Caplesmith, the former secretary, was going to represent the boy. That had been almost a week ago, and he had heard nothing more from Blaine. I just hope he hasn't really lost interest in me, Kurt thought glumly to himself.

Just as he was about to enter Dormitory One, Kurt heard someone calling his name not far off.

"Hey, Kurt! Hold on a second!"

The boy turned and saw Wes running directly towards him. Kurt was surprised to see that the former senior councilmember was smiling. It had been so long since anyone in the Warblers had displayed any happiness whatsoever.

"Hey Wes," Kurt said with a small grin. "You're smiling…?"

Wes grinned and nodded. "Thad has a proposition for us for Spring Break and I think it's crucial that we all take his idea into consideration. I think we can use the vacation. Come on, we're meeting in the senior commons."

Kurt shot him a confused look but followed nonetheless.

"Los Angeles?"

David stood, mouth agape, at this extraordinary good luck. He, Kurt, Jeff, Wes, Thad, and Nick were assembled in the room. Everyone else, according to Thad, already had travel plans for the Break.

"Guys, just hear me out," Thad said as he held his hands up for silence. "My parents are currently on a business trip in St. Tropez, and will be until mid-April. They've entrusted me to our penthouse and I think this is the perfect opportunity for us to get some good, quality rest and relaxation. I think that after all we've been through in the past week that we deserve it." The boy grinned wickedly. "Also, my Uncle Marcus works for American Airlines and has hooked me up with a bunch of free boarding passes."

The boys clapped and shouted their approval. Kurt actually perked up a bit, lingering over the endless possibilities that the famed City of Angels had to offer. To him, the names "Rodeo Drive," "Beverly Hills," and "Hollywood" were synonymous with high fashion and designer labels and were greater and more alluring than any Mecca, Xanadu, or stately pleasure dome.

But the flicker of excitement was gone when he realized that Blaine would probably not be joining them. Kurt forced himself to smile but all happiness had flown the coop for him.

"Besides," Thad continued. "Perhaps our time away from school will help us plot a possible demonstration…"

The boys all looked up at him, quizzically. "You mean we're going to strike?" David asked.

"You're damn right we will," Thad replied, assuredly. "We are going to be so loud and vocal about our dissatisfaction that Headmaster Kane will be begging for a transfer by the time we're through with him!"

The boys all nodded and gave verbal feedback as if they were revelers in a gospel church. Thad continued. "He took away our glee club! He took away our secret society! He took away our chance at Nationals! But there's one thing he did not rob us of: our spirit!"

The former Sons cheered and whooped in approval. Kurt remained seated, still crushed about Blaine. Had he been paying attention, he would have noticed that Jeff was watching him with a saddened expression, wondering what was pulsing through the boy's mind.

Jeremiah Evans was back at work after a nearly two-week hiatus. He was thankful to have the money coming back in as the economy was quite unstable. But he detested having to continue working under that wretched Allan Kane. He had heard all about the Warblers and Blaine's expulsion and he felt terribly guilty for it all. He wanted desperately to set things straight but knew that he alone didn't have the power to challenge and question the headmaster's authority.

As Jeremiah walked across the faculty parking lot, he found Blaine leaning against his red Mini Cooper. His heart started pounding as the familiar feelings started to tug at his heartstrings. It's okay, Jeremiah thought to himself. Just hold your ground and see what he wants from you. The blonde young man took a deep breath and proceeded toward his Mini Cooper.

"Hey Jeremiah," Blaine said softly. Jeremiah couldn't ignore how great the boy looked in his form-fitting blue-gray t-shirt. He forced his gaze at Blaine's eyes, which was an even bigger mistake.

"H—Hey, Blaine," he stuttered. "How's it going?"

"It's going pretty well," Blaine said with a smile. "Listen, I'd like to talk to you about something. Do you think it'd be okay if we stepped into your car?"

Jeremiah's heart started racing so fast he was surprised that it couldn't be seen bursting through his chest. Nevertheless, he gulped and nodded. "Sure. Hop in."

Blaine grinned and the doors clicked open from the master key. The two boys shifted inside and sat uncomfortably for a second.

The blonde young man was just about to ask what was on his ex-boyfriend's mind when he noticed that Blaine's golden eyes darted to the back seat. Jeremiah heard a noise and suddenly heard a woman's voice speaking into his ear.

"Alright you," the voice said. "Start the car and don't pull over until we tell you to."

"Wha—What is this? And how did you get in?" He started to inwardly panic. Was this a hostage situation? No, he shook his head. It was absurd! Why would Blaine lead him into something like this? The boy wasn't a criminal! Still, there was absolutely no explanation for it.

"You left your trunk unlocked. Now, no more questions! Just start driving and don't say a word unless you're spoken to!"

Despite his inner dialogue, he obediently started the car. He peeked in the rearview mirror and saw an older woman sitting in the back. She had graying hair that was drawn back into a bun and stern features on her face. Her eyes were greenish blue.

Just as Jeremiah pulled the red Mini Cooper onto the street, the lady started to talk. "So, Jeremiah Evans…"

"How do you know my name?" The young man was absolutely petrified.

"I'll do the talking!" The authority in her tone caused him to cease speaking at once. "How do you feel about working under the headmaster? It's to my understanding that you're his secretary, correct?"

Here, Jeremiah's heartbeat quickened once more. Thoughts were speeding through his mind faster than bullets. Is this entrapment? Are they trying to get me fired?

"Well, I… I guess he's alright," he lied. He wasn't even convincing to himself.

The woman laughed and shook her head. "I hope you're not planning a career in the theatre because your acting is terrible." Jeremiah felt himself blush before she proceeded to continue. "Tell us the truth or we'll report you to the school board for plotting to overthrow the headmaster!"

The blonde young man gulped, trying desperately to devise a plan as to how he was going to escape this situation. "Alright, alright!" He succumbed to defeat and felt that honesty would be the best policy. "He's a terrible man. He's rotten to the core and I absolutely despise what he's done to you, Blaine." With this, he turned and stared directly into the golden eyes of the boy in the passenger seat.

"Yes, he is," the lady said with poison and anger in her tone. "This is exactly why we would like to employ your help for a very important assignment. Blaine here tells me that your knowledge and expertise regarding computers and their programming is quite extensive."

Jeremiah loosened up only slightly. "Y—Yes…"

The older woman continued. "And it's also come to my attention that you're something of a tech wiz, is that correct?"

He nodded, feeling a little more comfortable divulging more personal information. "Yes, ma'am. If it's computer-related, I can do it!"

He checked the woman in the rearview mirror. He was relieved to see that she was smiling. "Excellent, excellent," she said. "Well, we've got a very important and special assignment for you. We have reason to believe that the headmaster fiddled with Blaine's grades in the online grade book."

Jeremiah's pulse quickened. He wasn't exactly sure he liked where the conversation was going. Nevertheless, he kept his mouth shut and listened.

"We need someone who can easily gain access to the online grade book and other resources and documents. That's where you come in. We're wondering if you could simply check the internet traffic over the course of the last four months to see if he has indeed logged in and tampered with the grades. Do you think you can do that for us?"

The young man was surprised when he found his voice. "Ma'am, that's hacking. It's an illegal offense and a breach of internet privacy."

The woman snorted sarcastically. "'Breach?' Look, if our allegations are true, do you really want Allan Kane to simply carry on with his rule-breaking?"

Jeremiah didn't even have to think twice. He shook his head. "No, ma'am. He must be stopped."

The lady chuckled, looking out the window. "Good answer. Then it's settled. Welcome aboard, Mr. Evans." The blonde turned towards Blaine, who mouthed a "Thank you" of gratitude.

Jeremiah gave a sigh of relief for he truly saw the assignment as Divine intervention. He was finally going to be purged of his guilt and sins, namely for intentionally firing Ivy Caplesmith, the old secretary. Besides, he wanted desperately to help the Warblers in their time of need. It'll all come around in the end, he thought with a smile.

He didn't know where this sudden optimism was coming from but it felt nice to think positively for a change.

To be continued…